I have a 2+ year old MoBo. And it's AGPx8. Which is getting dated quickly and since I am a gamer I need something better. I am thinking about simply buying a new MoBo (one that has PCI-e x16 or maybe even SLI) and processor with it and connected all my other components to it. Will this work or will I need a whole new machine for my gaming needs?

If you buy a current gen mobo you will have to buy a gfx card that works with it (PCI-E), a processor that works with it, and most likely ram as well (most current gen boards use DDR2). Also keep in mind newer boards use SATA hard drive connections. You might also need to upgrade your power supply to handle a bigger load, especially if you decide to go with sli. And there may be other unforseen things that may come up.

In my experience this can get expensive very fast you've got to weigh spending the cash on a new system with buying the components yourself and customizing it the way you want it.

There are ways to squeeze more life out of even a 2 year old board. Putting in a faster processor if possible or increasing the ram are a couple of really good ways to breathe new life into a slightly (1-2 yr) older system. Also ATI makes an AGP version of its x1950 card and NVIDIA has one of their 7900's available in AGP as well. But be very careful not to spend too much money on upgrades either. Doing more than just two of these upgrades on a system like that makes less sense than just getting a new motherboard or new system.

Hope this helps

Geez, I'll probably be better off buying a bare-bone system for about 500 and upgrade it from there as money comes in...

Can't newer MoBos take old RAM like pc3200 ddr400?

Oh, yeah, my other choice was to simply buy a new video card and more ram...I have 512MB and a really old Radeon 9200 on this. I just need a computer in my room...this is the family computer...upgrading this computer is a good choice however, just have to make my dad pay for it. =D

i guess then it just comes down to how far you plan on expanding in the future

If you have an AMD 939 system, then instead of spending the money on an entire new PC, you could simply purchase a newer motherboard and video card. That way you don't have to purchase a new CPU/RAM.

Honestly AM2 vs. 939 Performance is only about 10% difference at MAX!

intel p4

Highway to Hell......

If that's a 32 bit Prescott or 32 bit board/BIOS it's a dead end. Even the Cedar Mill P4s or Celerons can't be retrofitted unless your BIOS can be enabled for 64 bit operation. Without the PCIEx16 on the board that's working on 3 strikes. The DDR would be the 3rd. I apologize for the gloom and doom.

On a brighter note the Intel C2D Allendale 4300 is down to $115.00.